Physician-innovators at Carle Illinois College of Medicine are developing a new surgical device that could reduce risk and improve outcomes for women undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer. By applying technology to monitor responses in the nervous system, the device could enable surgeons to detect sensitive nerve tissue in real-time, avoiding damage that can cause functional impairment and post-operative pain.
During mastectomies, surgeons typically use a technique called electrocautery – applying an electrode heated by an electrical current – to destroy abnormal tissue and control bleeding. But if the electrode contacts healthy tissue such as a sensory nerve, it can cause permanent damage and severe post-surgical pain.
A team of CI MED students is developing a new add-on device called NeuroGuard that combines nerve stimulation capabilities with existing intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) technology to pinpoint the location of important nerves within the surgical field. The goal is to help surgeons “see” and avoid severing nerves as they cut through other types of tissue.
“NeuroGuard is about giving surgeons better tools and patients better outcomes,” said CI MED student Meenakshi Singhal, who leads the engineering development team. “This new device can enable surgeons to detect nerves in real-time using tools that they are familiar with. NeuroGuard has the potential to reduce operative time, enhance patient safety, and do so without disrupting existing surgical workflows.”
When integrated with the electrocautery machine, the device generates a waveform optimized to activate specific nerves within the cautery probe’s scope. The current version is designed to stimulate the intercostobrachial nerve (ICBN) without contacting it. This nerve is often injured in mastectomies, resulting in persistent post-surgical pain in the upper arm and chest. “These symptoms are especially a concern in low- and middle-income countries, where radical mastectomies are more common due to reduced access to advanced cancer treatments,” Singhal said. “Implementation of this innovation may benefit millions of patients worldwide who suffer from nerve injuries during surgery,” she said.
The team is designing their device to be scalable, building on electrosurgical platforms already present in hospitals worldwide. The solution could also be adapted for use in other types of surgeries. “Since our technology is based on the fundamental biophysical properties of nerves, we hope to expand applications to other procedures where intraoperative nerve injury can occur, such as in neurological and gynecological surgery,” Singhal said.
The NeuroGuard team includes CI MED students Singhal, Prateek Dullur, Nikita Chigullapally, and Nick Kelhofer. They teamed up with students from U. of I.’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering to develop and calibrate the computational models and electrical circuits for the device, which has received provisional patent approval. In 2025, team NeuroGuard presented their research findings at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the Global Consortium of Engineering and Medicine. They were also accepted at the IEEE International Conference on Neural Engineering, and are now completing studies of the ICBN using an anatomical donor. The team has been chosen as a semifinalist and will compete in the 2026 Global Health Innovation Grand Challenge in Taipei, Taiwan, in April, with a chance to secure funding to develop a fully functional prototype.